In these days of social distancing, I spend the majority of my time juggling working remotely, teaching my mother how to use effects during our family’s group Instagram calls, and attempting to find something to occupy my four-year-old daughter within the 1,000-square-feet of my two-bedroom apartment. (This week, we learned about what happens to water when you put it in the freezer. She was transfixed for three whole minutes.) It’s challenging, for sure, but I know how fortunate I am.

There are others confronting unimaginable realities. My heart weeps for the people across the globe who are critically ill, the families who are mourning loved ones, and the workers who have already been laid off from their jobs. I find myself glued to the news in morbid fascination. It’s keeping me informed, but offers little comfort.

What has given me a slight sense of certainty in these very uncertain times: my skincare routine. The bottom 50 percent of my body hasn’t seen anything with a zipper in approximately two weeks, but every day, twice day, I’m cleansing, toning, and slathering on my serums, essences, and moisturizers. Rolling your eyes? I get it, but research shows that rituals and routines are used by both humans and animals to reduce feelings of anxiety. Doctors Evan Rieder, M.D. and Amy Wechsler, M.D.—two of the few American physicians dual-board certified in dermatology and psychology—agree.

“In times of crisis, routines often get thrown out the window, but they can be very grounding,” Wechsler, an adjunct assistant clinical professor in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, tells me. “Any small way a person can regain a sense of control is very helpful in lowering stress and anxiety. It’s also key to having some sense of normalcy and connection to the life you were previously living.”

That’s certainly been the case for me. Waking up each morning, massaging a bit of Kate Somerville's exfoliating cleanser onto my face, patting it dry, and then smoothing on Volition Beauty’s Strawberry-C Serum and sunscreen (yes, I wear SPF indoors; some skin-damaging UV rays can penetrate windows) makes me feel human, whole. It provides a definitive start to my day, something that can’t be taken for granted when minutes blend into hours. On the flip side, pressing an essence into my skin every evening and applying eye cream, my Olay retinol, plus a night cream helps me to unwind and decompress for sleep, something I imagine is in as short supply as toilet paper.

And this brings me to another reason I’m taking solace in my routine: My skin needs it more than ever. Coronavirus-related anxiety (“Will I or someone I know get sick?”), fear (“How will I fare if the economy takes a nosedive?"), and stress (“Will my daughter sit quietly through Moana for the 48th time while I get on a work call?”) can seriously mess with your complexion.

“There are intricate links between the skin, the nervous system, and certain hormones,” says Rieder, assistant professor in the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology at NYU Langone Health in New York. “Cortisol, for example, is a stress hormone that can get completely out of whack during times like these.” This hormone can set off an inflammatory response through the body, including the skin. Not only does inflammation break down skin-plumping collagen, it can exacerbate serious conditions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

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On top of that, disrupted sleep—common in times like these—can also show up on your face. Sleep’s importance to the health of your skin can’t be overstated. While you snooze, anti-inflammatory molecules like beta-endorphins and oxytocin, get to work helping to repair all of our organs, including your outer layer. Lack of sleep or disrupted sleep prevents these molecules from doing their job. Wechsler recommends avoiding caffeinated beverages after 5:00 p.m. and trying to turn off the television two hours prior to bedtime. I’ll try, but, honestly, Cuomo Primetime has been giving me life right now. So, in the meantime, sticking to my arsenal of potent formulas is making up for my lacking REM cycles.

"Doing something concrete when there is so much that is out of my control is indeed comforting."

I know that so many people don't have the luxury to even think about skincare right now. But at the end of the day, for me, it’s less about looking good right now—I’ve thankfully been spared from turning on my laptop’s camera for a Zoom work meeting—than it is about taking care of myself, carving out a few minutes to escape from the grim news and internal panic. As the experts suggest, the feeling of proactively doing something—anything—concrete when there is so much that is out of my control is indeed comforting.

Perhaps for you, it has nothing to do with skincare. That’s beside the point, of course. Some people find comfort in immersing themselves in a book, some love to cook, and others take solace in rearranging their living space/office/at-home daycare, or bingeing Tiger King. Whatever that thing is, take some time to figure it out.

If skincare is your preference, my full current regimen is below (as a beauty editor, it’s the question I get most often). There’s no shame in admitting you need a break from hearing, even thinking, about the craziness all around us—so if you're able, cleanse, tone, moisturize, and tune out for a bit.

My coronanxiety-busting skincare routine

I don't cleanse in the morning. After I splash my face with water, I use an exfoliating product—right now, these pads. This blend of fruit-derived and lactic acids clears my pores and gently resurfaces my skin.

Consider using an antioxidant serum every morning. These ingredients—like the strawberry-derived vitamin C—protect your skin from free radical damage from the sun and pollution. After I've exfoliated, I smooth this on.

A product with an SPF of at least 30 that you wear every single day is essential. This is my final step in the morning; it has chemical UV filters mixed with ceramides and hyaluronic acid to protect and moisturize. I find I don't need to use a separate day cream when I use this.

This eye cream works doubly to tackle under eye circles—something I can't sidestep, no matter how much sleep I get. Vitamin C (an all-around anti-aging superstar) helps to stimulate the production of collagen, thickening skin so dark patches aren't as noticeable. At the same time, the slightly yellowish tint neutralizes bluish discoloration for an immediate brightening effect.

This essence is an indulgence, for sure, but it's packed with one of the creme de la creme antiaging ingredients: green tea. The brand grows its own on a small island in South Korea, ensuring it's packed with catechins, supercharged antioxidants that can help improve skin's tone and elasticity.

Like SPF, retinol is a must. Every night, without fail, I massage one into my skin—and this is my current choice. It's gentle, reasonably priced, and effective. Retinol should be your first skincare step after cleansing and toning.

To seal in my essence and retinol, I've been finishing my nighttime routine with this beautiful electrolyte-rich cream. It's labeled as a mask, but you don't rinse or tissue this one off. Apply a generous layer before bedtime and wake up with supremely hydrated skin.

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